by Lucy Adler
“A few of the doctors heard someone scream. When the door to the bathroom was locked but nobody answered, we had a janitor open it. And there you were, lying on the floor, unconscious and covered in sweat. Can you remember anything?”
Then it all clicked.
“Uh, no. I mean, not really,” she said. “I felt a little nauseous, so I went to the bathroom. Then I remember getting overheated for some reason. It’s all kind of a blur after that.”
“Well, don’t worry,” Charlie said, squeezing her hand. “They’ve run some tests and we should have the results back within the hour. Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
“Sure. I’m actually quite hungry.”
Charlie walked to the door but paused just for a second before he left the room.
“Oh, and they’ve also run some brain scans, just to be safe. But I doubt those will show anything alarming. Just routine stuff, really.”
Then he smiled at her, his face expressing his relief.
“I’m just so glad you’re alright!” he repeated.
“I love you, Charlie,” she replied.
“I love you too.”
10
Month: 4 | Day: 10 | Year: 60
VIALS
They weren’t dream pancakes, but they were pretty close.
“Forget about another lesson. Let’s just make more of these.”
“I totally would,” Livy replied, “but I’m not sure Helena would be too happy about it!”
“She doesn’t need to know,” Daria said, putting her finger to her mouth.
There might have been twenty percent truth to her suggestion - ok, maybe fifty - but Daria was at least equally excited to learn more about visions from Livy that morning.
On their way out of the house, Brix stopped them.
“Hey, Dashy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we talk for a few minutes?”
Daria was about to ask her if it could wait until lunch, but she could see that Brix seemed anxious.
“Can you give us a sec?” she asked Livy.
“Sure. I’ll pull the snowmobile around. Take your time.”
Daria and Brix went over by the fireplace and sat on one of the sheepskin rugs. The fire, which was stoked from breakfast until bedtime, crackled and hissed.
“What’s up?”
Brix took a deep breath as she stared into the flames.
“Something happened last night. Like, happened to me.”
Daria waited for her to elaborate.
“I was just brushing my teeth and washing my face before bed, when I started...”
She was breathing more heavily, and her face look frightened.
“I saw some stuff. Like, images, pictures, flashing across my mind.”
“Of what?”
“Of that guy that kidnapped me. Of that chair he tied me to. Of that purple liquid in the vial.”
“Purple liquid?” Daria asked. Then her heart jumped.
Oh my gosh! The vials that Corey told me to grab from the fridge! Where are they???
She tried to hold the thought so she didn’t interrupt Brix.
“Anything else?” she asked.
Her friend ran her fingers through the sheepskin, then folded her hands in front of her.
“No. That’s it.”
“Well, maybe it’s just like some kind of post-traumatic thing, you know? That was really intense. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had flashbacks for a while.”
Daria reached out and put her hand on Brix’s knee.
“But you’re safe here,” she said with a smile. “Try to relax and see if it fades away, you know?”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sure it’s just stress.”
Brix smiled, placing her hand over Daria’s.
“Thanks, Dashy.”
Then it started up again.
Out of the blue.
Low. Quiet.
But definitely present.
A humming sound, like the one from Clarence’s shop.
Like the one from her bedroom two nights ago.
Daria shook her head a little.
“You ok?” Brix asked.
“Do you hear that?” she replied, rubbing her temple.
“Hear what?”
“Nothing. I think I just have a headache. It’s been coming and going for a few days.”
“Well, you’ve been through a lot, too. I’m sure it’ll pass.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Daria said with a smile. “Ok, I better get out there!”
“Enjoy the snowmobile ride! It was really fun!” Brix said as they walked to the door.
Daria carefully watched her step as she descended the snow-covered stairs from the porch then walked along the icy path to the track where the snowmobile was parked.
But had she looked back at just the right second, she might have caught a glimpse of the deep red light that briefly washed over Brix’s eyes.
____________________________
“This is an interesting choice.”
“This is perfect!”
“After the cabin, and then the lake yesterday, I’ve sorta gotten used to ‘big views’ whenever I’m learning stuff!” Daria laughed.
“There are bigger views to be had,” Livy said with a wink as they walked through the snow into a small clearing, deep in the forest. Lodge-pole pines towered over them, their bundles of needles carrying more snow that deadened the sound of their voices and made the space feel insulated from the outside world.
They sat down, leaning against one of the trunks.
“So, you’ve seen some stuff already, haven’t you?” Livy started. “Can you tell me about it?”
Daria did her best to recount her visions of Brix’s kidnapping in as much detail as she could. When she came to the part about the group acting on her vision, she hesitated.
“I think I must have messed it up,” she said. “Julia told me that visionaries can usually tell where something is happening but we basically had to guess.”
“You didn’t mess it up. You just didn’t know what to do with it when it was happening.”
Livy adjusted her position so she was facing Daria.
“The visions themselves aren’t up to you. You can’t just say, ‘Hey, I’m going to have a vision now!’ But, that doesn’t mean it’s an entirely passive experience either. Once the vision begins, you can explore it. You can ask questions, move around within it, change your perspective. Now, you might not always get all the answers you want, but you can certainly get a lot more out of it than if you just sit still and watch.”
“Ahh, I see. I wish I knew that sooner! Seems pretty cool.”
“It is cool, that’s for sure! But it’s also important. Not every vision will be something that has just happened, or is currently happening. Sometimes you’ll have visions of things that happened ages ago, and others will be of things yet to come.”
“Ages ago? How would that be useful?”
“Didn’t you find it interesting that your normal school spent fifteen minutes a day on History, but at the Institute it was the thing you studied most?”
Daria thought about it for a moment.
“Dr. Reston said it was important to give me ‘perspective’.”
“He wasn’t wrong,” Livy said. “Not many people take the time to realise that almost everything they do is guided in some way by their understanding - or lack of understanding - of the past. It’s more relevant to your daily life than anything else you’ll ever learn.”
Daria squinted, then raised an eyebrow.
“Really?” she replied with a note of skepticism.
Livy’s grey eyes took on a deep, piercing look. It wasn’t aggressive, or unsettling. But it made Daria feel like their conversation had suddenly risen a few notches. That their thoughts, their words, were coming from somewhere outside themselves. And it made her focus more intently.
“Everything that happens today,” the girl said, “is the result of decisio
ns that were made yesterday. And I don’t necessarily mean the day before today. We’re living in a moment, a single moment that has been shaped by millions and millions of moments that came before it. And we’re pretty arrogant - and dumb! - if we think that those moments don’t matter anymore just because they’re past.”
Daria reflected on Livy’s words. Her mind soared like a bird over the events of the past week. Of the past month.
Then she thought about the moment she tripped on the divot and slammed her face into the dirt. How she rolled over and stared up at that wispy cloud as it passed through the sky, so light and free.
And something clicked.
“I felt like trash for two years!” she said indignantly. It wasn’t a new thought but it hit her in a different way now.
“Exactly. Because the narrative they fed you gave you a certain perspective on yourself. It told you that rest was dangerous, that sleep was the enemy. It told you that you had an infection that needed to be cured. It told you to feel like trash.”
“And then the stories they taught me about sleepers and the Former Days, about the founding of Progress...”
“They shaped a version of History that supported their perspective. But had you understood what really happened, what sleepers really are, you wouldn’t have listened. And they would have lost control.”
As the anger receded, Daria had another thought.
“Ok, but how can we be sure that what we see in our visions is really what happened?”
“The visions we have that relate to the past aren’t usually ‘history lessons’ just for the sake of learning things. When your gift does show you something from a long time ago, it’ll have a purpose for the moment you’re in, or one you’re about to encounter. You’ll see the dots connect, and the truth will be obvious.”
They were quiet for a while as Daria allowed her mind to absorb everything she had heard.
“How about we enter the dream-state,” Livy finally said. “I want to show you something else that visionaries can do.”
____________________________
The Veil was a welcome sight.
She didn’t hesitate.
Soon, the stars and comets welcomed her with a dazzling display.
Lights flickering, sparkling, and shining.
Comets dancing before her in loops and swirls.
“Hey, Daria!”
What the heck?!
She spun around but no one was there.
She couldn’t see anyone, anywhere.
“Hello?” she asked into the air.
“It’s Livy.”
“What? How?”
“So, yeah,” the girl’s voice said, “visionaries can enter the dream-state with other sleepers.”
“Whoa, that’s pretty cool!”
“It’s more limited than you might think, though. And we have to have a connection with the person. I can’t just scroll a list, pick a name, and jump into their dreams!”
“That’s comforting! So, what’s the main use of this ability? What do you usually do with it?”
“Guidance. Questions. There’s no control or influence involved. I can’t make you think or dream or see anything. It’s really just about communication, which can be extremely useful. Think of it like the ultimate phone call!”
“Is it limited by distance?”
“Nope. The only major limitation is that the other sleeper has to be either in the dream-state at that very moment, or asleep. So that can sometimes be tricky to time if you haven’t arranged it in advance.”
Then something occurred to Daria.
“Wait, so can we try to connect with the members of our group that went missing? Like, maybe at night, when they’d be asleep?”
“I’ve tried. Some other visionaries have, too. None of us have been able to connect with any of them.”
“What do you think that means?” Daria asked nervously.
“I’m not sure,” Livy said calmly. “But this ability isn’t always reliable. There are a number of factors that can effect our connections with each other. So don’t let it worry you, ok? We’ll find them, one way or another.”
“Yeah, I know we will.”
____________________________
Lunch was chicken noodle soup with dense rye bread and lots of butter. It was just Jake, Daria, and Brix at the table. Livy had gone home after dropping Daria back at the house that afternoon.
“Watch out, Jakey boy. Looks like I can invade your dreams!”
“Oh, so Livy taught you about that, huh?” Jake laughed.
“She sure did!”
“What about mine?” Brix asked.
“Um, I don’t know, actually. She said ‘dream-state’, so probably not?” Daria shrugged her shoulders.
“That’s fine with me! Out here’s enough,” she said, waving her hand, “I don’t need you up there, too,” she added, tapping the side of her head.
“Oh, thanks!” Daria replied playfully, as if she were offended. Then she changed the subject. “Hey guys, I just remembered something I meant to ask you,” she said, setting down her spoon. “When you woke up at the cabin and carried me inside, did you notice anything in my hands or on the ground beside me?”
“Like what?” Jake asked.
“Like a towel? Or some vials?”
“Vials?” Brix repeated.
“When Corey and I rescued you from the lab, I grabbed a few vials of whatever I could find in the fridge, wrapped them up in a towel, and brought them with me. Corey seemed to think it was a good idea.”
“No, sorry,” Jake said, shaking his head. “I didn’t see anything at all. Just you.”
“Me neither,” Brix said.
“That’s alright. I guess they didn’t make the trip when we translocated to the cabin.”
“So, you’re off with Brett this afternoon, aren’t you?” Brix asked.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Daria replied with a sad face. “Want me to find out if he likes you?” she said with a cheeky grin.
“Very funny. Maybe I’ll just have Jake show me around instead?” she teased her back, wrapping her arm around Jake’s shoulders.
“Please, ladies,” he interrupted. “Brett and I aren’t pieces of meat, no matter how handsome we might be...” he said, rubbing his chin as he finished speaking.
The girls cracked up with laughter. Then Brix patted him on the back.
“It’s your turn to clear the dishes, beefsteak.”
____________________________
As Daria left for her second ride on a snowmobile that day, and Jake washed up in the kitchen, Brix hurried upstairs to her room.
An image flickered in her mind as she opened the door quickly, then shut it behind her. She pulled open the top drawer of her dresser. There were a few sets of clothes folded up inside, the ones that Livy had brought her. She fished around between them, then along the edges of the drawer.
At the very back corner, her hand bumped up against something.
She heard the clink of glass as she scooped up and removed the three small objects.
“Why do I have these?” she asked as she stared down at the vials in her hand. One was filled with a reddish-brown liquid, another with blue liquid. The third was purple.
She knew that she should tell Jake right away.
But just as she turned to leave the room, a sharp pain jolted her body.
She was able to place the vials back inside the drawer before it hit her again so hard, she nearly stumbled onto the bed.
Brix raced to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Then she held her stomach as she writhed in pain.
She looked at her grimacing face in the mirror.
“No, no, no...” she said to her reflection.
Then another round of nausea hit even harder than the last.
She threw back the toilet seat and vomited. Once. Twice.
As she stood there, her body shaking from extreme exertion, she looked down at her right hand.
; It was changing.
Grey, then black.
But this time, flecks of red light shimmered in the shadows.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
Her right eye was glowing with the same red light.
Then her left filled with a blue haze.
She closed her eyes and turned away, pressing her forehead against the opposite wall.
“Pleeeeease!” she hissed under her breath. “No!”
Then, all at once, the pain ceased.
The weakness passed like a spring rain, and her mind felt as clear as if the sun were shining down upon her, not a cloud in the sky.
She turned back and looked at herself in the mirror again.
She blinked her normal eyes.
Ran her normal hand over her face.
And smiled.
As she exited the bathroom, Jake was passing by in the hall.
“Hey,” he said, “I know we were joking earlier, but do you want to hang out while Daria’s gone? I don’t really have anything to do!”
“Love to,” she said happily. “Let’s go!”
11
Month: 4 | Day: 10 | Year: 60
ARTIST POINT
It wasn’t a long journey, maybe about fifteen minutes.
“Let’s walk out to edge,” Brett said, switching off the snowmobile.
As they walked up a short incline, Daria could see the tops of distant trees on the far side of a canyon. They had passed along the rim for the last few minutes of their trip but now she was able to face it directly and take in the spectacular scenery.
The walls weren’t sheer but their rough, craggy slopes were steep enough to make the average person want to stay back a few steps. The 900-foot descent ended at the Yellowstone river which cut its way through the canyon after cascading over a 300-foot drop that was visible off to Daria’s left. Well, somewhat visible. The waterfall itself was shrouded in a dense white cloud that billowed into the sky, creating a breathtaking sense of motion on a grand scale. The falls may not have been as high as the rim itself but the volume of water and the force with which it came crashing into the bed below gave off a deafening roar that echoed along the canyon walls. However, by the time it reached Daria’s lookout almost a mile downstream, the roar had become a soothing, rushing sound, that reminded her of the first time she heard the wind through the trees outside the cabin.